LeBron James lauded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the 'head of the snake' after the Thunder star secured his second consecutive NBA MVP award.

James praised the guard's 'unstoppable' playstyle on the Mind the Game podcast following Oklahoma City's playoff sweep of Los Angeles. “I think he’s very deserving, and nobody can sit here and be like, ‘How the h*** did Shai win again?’ Like, nobody can sit here and say that.”

He then explained what makes the guard so hard to play against. “And to go up against him for four games, and obviously in the regular season as well. He does things to a defense, does things to opposing teams that you have to simply account for. He’s number one and two and three on that scouting report, you know, and he’s the head of the snake.” 

This level of respect carried extra weight because James had just faced the Thunder in a playoff series sweep. 

Oklahoma City defeated Los Angeles during the regular season before the recent playoff sweep. In Game 4, Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 35 points and 8 assists in the closeout win. 

After securing the series sweep, Gilgeous-Alexander shifted the focus right back to his opponent. “It’s amazing what he’s doing out there at his age... He was a force.” He praised the veteran's longevity and stated the NBA may never see anything quite like it again. 

As defending champions, they opened the playoffs with a flawless 8-0 run before reaching the Western Conference Finals. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Continues His Historic Season Run

SGA averaged 31.1 points per game on 55.3% shooting this year. He also scored a career-high 6.6 assists per game.

Opponents build their complete defensive schemes just to stop him. That's why James also highlighted his leadership and selfless approach.

Gilgeous-Alexander broke Wilt Chamberlain's 126-game streak by recording 127 straight games with at least 20 points. Securing back-to-back MVPs has also made him the clear face of a new Thunder dynasty push.

He is also only the 14th player in NBA history to win back-to-back MVP awards. And with this close to the season end, he will aim to earn a place beside Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James.

Only those three players have ever won back-to-back MVPs and back-to-back championships in their careers. Winning another title in 2026 would push Gilgeous-Alexander into this elite historical tier.

Oklahoma City dropped Game 1 of the series but came back with a strong win, with their leader leading the way. Do you think SGA can win back-to-back championships? 

Read more at Air Jordan Chronicles! 

Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Koushik Biswas